Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden

One of my favorite museums for several reasons:
1) The architecture is so unique. It’s designed like a donut making each floor easy to navigate and keeping track on what you have yet to see in the museum.
2) The museum store in the basement is unique and has tings you’d actually want to buy like a iPhone cord holder. The design of the basement floor is unique as well making this museum awesome to photograph or Instagram.
3) The top floor has a great view and balcony of the National Mall. There’s a room with two big couches and the plug ins and wifi attract locals who want a quiet place to study/​work.
4) This museum always has more progressive exhibits that make you think about your own life and outlook on the world.
The Hischhorn is a fan favorite of DC locals!

Bottom Line: Even if you aren’t a fan of contemporary art there are things here to be appreciated.
I don’t understand contemporary art so I headed to the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum to gain a deeper appreciation for this genre. What I immediately noticed about the Hirshhorn, aside from its unique round shape, is how clean, bright and spacious it feels. There is a lot of volume here and the negative space between art works is very nice. While moving from one piece to another I felt like I could cleanse my pallet per se.
Something else I really appreciate about this museum is the generous gift of Mr. Hirshhorn himself and that he was willing to donate his collection of 6,000 art pieces to the United States. He could have kept it, bequeathed it or sold it, but instead he chose to give it to the American people. Although this isn’t my favorite style of art, I appreciate too that the United States has continued to upkeep his collection and add to it. The art here is as diverse as America itself.
A third aspect that is nice about this museum is that your admission price is prepaid through federal tax dollars. People like to call this «free» but the economist in me that pays taxes every other week feels «pre-​paid» is more appropriate. Because you are not emptying your wallet to visit this museum, the risk is low. I encourage everyone to drop by the Hirshhorn if they have the time and to try it. You don’t have to commit your whole day, maybe just 30 minutes to see what is here.
I spent an hour or so here and ran through plenty of emotions including being amused, perplexed, confused and creeped out. One of the most memorable items I enjoyed seeing here were works by Salvador Dali.

This is one very cool museum. From the Dan Flavin installation on the ground floor to the survey of contemporary art on the top, the exhibits here are fun, interesting and challenging. A wide range of selections from the permanent collection have been reinstalled in the third floor galleries and you will see everything there is to love (Isa Genzken) and hate (Francis Bacon/​Cy Twombly) about contemporary art. Don’t miss the sculptures (busts) made out of chocolate and soap – by tongue (I kid you not). Also, the temporary exhibits on the second floor were terrific — surrealist sculpture, including Dali’s Aphrodisiac dinner jacket, something you have to see to believe, and also installations by someone who is reconstructing famous fist-​fights of the surrealists.
I’m not a big fan of the building – to me the narrow circular galleries seem claustrophobic, like walking through a wind tunnel. Unlike the Guggenheim, where the galleries open to an atrium, here the galleries are closed in. I guess they can show twice as much art this way – that’s a good thing, and there’s a big picture window with a great panorama of D.C. on the 3^rd floor. But let’s not quibble – this is a great cultural attraction.

Great visit. I know now I’m not a huge realist/​surrealist art person but the Hirshorn exhibit itself was good. Can take pictures in certain areas so that was fun.

Currently, there is a cool surrealist exhibit where you can create your own surrealism images on a magnetic wall and TV. There is also a nice Daniel Flavin fluorescent light tubes exhibit. Security guards are always reminding you that no photos are allowed!

I had been meaning to visit the Hisrshhorn for quite a while now, and when my bf’s brother came to town, we went spontaneously this past Tuesday around 2:30pm (11÷10÷15).
It was not very crowded, but be warned that only one person at a time can go through the revolving door entrance. The security is a bit uptight at the front, so if you have a bag or purse, stop and get it checked; if not, keep on moving.
On the right when you walk in are elevators. We went downstairs first to the room with Barbara Kruger’s «Belief + Doubt = Sanity» wall. It’s a huge space, and there is a cool blue light room down there, along with the gift shop.
When you go upstairs, there are tons of rooms and the building is in a circle design, so it’s easy to end up back where started if you’re engrossed in the art. There were some interesting pieces. We were on a bit of a time crunch, but spent a good hour here.
One of the security guards was so nice; she noticed us tip-​toeing through the exhibits and pointed that outside, there are interactive areas that are more fun, and she pointed to the projector a few feet away. You can pick up pieces and project your own shadows on the wall. Walking further down, there is a «Magnet Wall» that is interactive as well. You can stick different items on the white wall to create your own art. I wouldn’t have noticed these areas without her. She was awesome!
To sum it up, it’s free and a great place to check out in DC.

This is a great place to grab some food and just relax for a while taking in the art.
I really like the giant aluminum (i think) tree, though the perspective house next to it is pretty awesome as well.
be sure to catch the pyramid at the other end.
there are benches throughout the garden, so you can also just sit and people watch too.

Named for its founding donor, émigré financier and art collector Joseph H. Hirshhorn (1899 – 1981), the Hirshhorn opened in 1974 with an initial donation of nearly 6,000 works, notable for their inclusion of many in three dimensions in addition to painting and drawings and with a focus on art since WWII. The distinctive doughnut-​shaped building designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft (1909 – 1990) of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has remained controversial, indeed as recently as 2013 the museum’s then director Richard Koshalek resigned with several Board members following suit after the Board as a whole rejected what many had come to recognize after four (themselves quite expensive) years of planning as a costly and impractical plan to put a seasonal «bubble» roof over the doughnut’s hole to host «special events»! Nonetheless, thanks to the legacy of its founder as well as continuing dialogues with contemporary artists, the Hirshhorn remains Washington’s leading museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art. The sunken sculpture garden is notable not only for its holdings, but also as one of the very few Mall attractions open before 10:00 AM!

The place is right at the National Mall. I’ve walked by this area many times and have never noticed this building until I saw a post on a blog about this museum. With my love for contemporary art, I decided it was to to go.
The museum is wide and nicely spacious. I really like the basement where the floor and ceiling are designed with bold font printed quotes.
This museum has become one of my favourites along with Air and Space Museum and National Portrait Gallery.
The second floor right now is dedicated to the works of Shirin Nesat about the struggles and empowerment of women in Iran showcased through photography and videos.
The third floor right now is dedicated to sculptures and more modern paintings.

Conveniently located on the National Mall, and being that it’s part of the Smithsonian so it’s free, I don’t know why more people don’t take advantage of all this contemporary and modern art museum has to offer! You will know the building when you see it; kind of looks like a huge spacecraft parked smack in the middle of the Mall. It has a beautiful central courtyard occupied mostly by a large fountain. This past Monday (and I think every Monday through September 14 so only one left) they have a happy hour (cash bar) with live music in this courtyard. The museum stays open late as well so you can take time to view the exhibits. It’s a great contrast to the National Gallery of Art which is amazing in its own right!
If you have time, definitely check out the sculpture garden too! Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree is an interesting permanent installation to browse through (and add a wish if you will). On the lowest level, the current exhibition is «Belief and Doubt». The entire space (walls, floors, etc.) is filled with text, many displaying common perceptions of power, belief, and open ended questions too of this nature. My other favorite current exhibition was Shirin Neshat: Facing History. Her multimedia exhibition (mostly photographs and videos) examines power and identity in the Islamic world, particularly in Iran where she lived until 1975. If you have time, I recommend sitting through her film Munis. This exhibit was quite moving and I am going to return to see things I wasn’t able to the first time. Being this a only a three floor museum, it can easily be done in a day or maybe even a half and is are at place to see interesting and thought-​provoking exhibits.

I take for granted what I have access to here in the Washington DC area. One of them is the free admission to all the Smithsonian museums. I was in the the area with some friends and we decided to check out some modern art.
I am in no way an artistic person. I can barely color within the lines or connect the numbered dots to create the picture. But walking around and seeing all the sculptures, paintings, art pieces, architecture, rooms, videos, and designs, I can appreciate the hard work and creativity that went into creating those pieces. I may be way too dense to understand what the artist is trying to express but still very cool overall.
The museum is small, four floors, and shaped like a hollow cylinder so you can admire the art pretty quickly. Located on the National Mall and is metro accessible. It’s worth a look.

This is my new favorite museum in DC! It is well curated and has a great flow. The pieces featured are interesting and unlike those found in other museums in the area. Though my boyfriend and I had a great time here, I could see it being less appealing for anyone with young children, as there are not as many interactive or kid-​accessible exhibits as in other museums.
We also really enjoyed the surrounding courtyard/​fountain/​grass area, which is a great place to catch your breath away from the crowds. We happened upon their Monday night happy hour, which was a real treat because it was so nice to have a drink and look at the sculptures while listening to the live band. Despite the occasional alcohol, this would be a great place to bring children.

Well-​curated, tightly-​focused, and highly-​evolving exhibitions make this a no-​brainer for a 45+ minute stopover to peruse three floors of modern art including avant-​garde installation art, video art, and other cutting-​edge space. It’s free to boot, so I don’t think anyone can complain about that.
Out front is a separate sculpture garden with permanent pieces from many of the greats of the era like Rodin, Henry Moore, and a «death star» or «gear planet» from my favorite sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro.

we are so spoiled living in DC and having free access to all of the smithsonian museums. i was in the area and decided to stop in to take a look since i had never been.
the hirshhorn museum is small and can be covered pretty quickly. there are three floors of contemporary art. the building is shaped like a hollow cylinder so it is pretty cool to walk in a circle and not have to walk through the same thing.
definitely worth checking out if you are looking for something to do in DC.

The MOMA of DC, this gallery is packed with tons of contemporary art. It was a easy walk with a number of installations. I visited this spot after craving more modern art from the American Art Museum and was not disappointed.
Great concepts, clean design, and easy
navigation made this my favorite collection I’ve seen in DC– oh and as I’m sure you read– ITS FREE !!! Still kicking myself for not grabbing a couple books from the gift shop. Don’t skip this one. :)

Lindo y muy tranquilo, no muchas personas te puedes sentar a admirar las esculturas y la naturaleza o leer las notas que han escrito las personas en el árbol de los deseos.

Comparable to the MoMa of New York because of its modern and contemporary art exhibits. I enjoyed the first floor, where the art was a little more interactive with its viewers, but I feel like the whole building itself could’ve featured more. Maybe it was just the time I went (July) that maybe they didn’t have much to feature. I personally liked the National Portrait Gallery more because of their variety, but Hirshhorn isn’t a bad place to take your date or family. Just make sure you have a backup plan because of how fast you MIGHT go through the museum.

If you haven’t been to this museum yet, YOU’RE MISSING OUT. I love this museum! It is now one of my favorite — if not top favorite — museums in DC. I definitely recommend visiting even if you are not a big fan of modern art.
The first thing that attracted me to this museum is the dome-​like structure. In the center, there is a big fountain and an open view of the sky. I really enjoyed the bottom floor where words dominate the walls and floor. There’s also an empty room with a blacklight bridge. Also on the bottom floor is a shop full of nifty things.
I wish I could explain this museum even more, but my words and pictures will not do it justice. Just check it out for yourself! I hope you will be as amazed by this museum as I was.

Hirshhorn Musuem is one of the «big five» modern art museums in the United States. It houses a ton of modern art — sculptures, paintings, art pieces, architecture, rooms, and designs.
For the museum’s 40^th anniversary, they recently finished renovating the third level galleries, and the first exhibition was the At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection. As you’re going up the escalators, look up! The lights display is awesome! The pieces in this collection show how the museum is the connection between new ideas of artists and visitors.
Don’t forget to check out the basement — currently it’s the Barbara Kruger: Belief and Doubt exhibition. The gift shop is also located down here.

This is waaaaay over my head. I’m undecided if this place is too cool for me or not. They feature modern ways of creating stuff very artistic, from videography, shadow art, lights, etc.
Now I do appreciate a good piece of art but an elephant playing dead on a white background… Hmmmm. There’s also a video of a lady playing the violin with the background of the alps. I think if MichaelAngelo were alive, he would totally die if he sees the art displayed here.
Another art that I almost appreciate was the one of lady gaga just standing there and waiting not to blink for a very long time. It’s like a modern Mona Lisa because it’s a video!
Oh my god! Get me outta here and take me to the louvre!

I’ll admit — going to our nation’s capital in August wasn’t the best move. It was hot. Like really really flipping hot out. So after spending some time wandering the Mall we decided to take a break, find some AC and cool down. While everyone and their brother was going over to the big bad Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum… we wandered over to the lesser known* Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden.
The garden out front is lovely. There are about a dozen unique art pieces sprinkled throughout… On the other side of the park is a grand circular building full of cool contemporary artwork.
Spanning over 3 levels we saw some really unique pieces but my favorite on display was found in the basement level — Barbara Kruger: Belief+Doubt installation of large scale text covering the walls and floor. The words and colors are striking.
The museum is open 364 days a year, so whether its August (and you need some air conditioning) or January (and need some heat), you should totally stop by and check this place out. Anddd as many of the DC museums are this one is FREE! Yay Hirshhorn!
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*I’ll admit — I’d never heard of the Hirshhorn before.

Das Hirshhorn Museum in Washongton DC gefällt mir schon von außen: Ein im Grundriss ringförmiges Gebäude auf vier großen aber eleganten Betonstelzen. Im Innenhof ein Springbrunnen. Es beherbergt eine wunderbar abwechslungsreiche Sammlung moderner Kunst mit einem klaren Schwerpunkt auf Skulpturen.
Gerade Skulpturen finde ich persönlich besonders interessant, da man sie bewaffnet mit der Kamera so schön aus allen möglichen Perspektiven photographieren kann. Die einzelnen Objekte sind sehr gut plaziert: gut beleuchtet und hinreichend weit voneinander entfernt, dass sie nicht miteinander in Konkurrenz treten.
Vom Balkon im Obergeschoss hat man einen herrlichen Ausblick auf die Museen und das National Archive auf der gegenüberliegenden Seite der Mall. Ich hoffe meine Photos machen Lust auf einen Besuch!

Ich kenne dieses zweifellos verdienstvolle Museum gar nicht, sondern nur die Skulptur Ron Muecks, die hier beheimatet ist, und im letzten Jahr zu Besuch in der Themen-​Ausstellung Melancholie in Berlin weilte: Ron Mueck, Ohne Titel (Dicker Mann), Pigmentiertes Polyesterharz auf Fiberglas, 203,8120,7204,5 cm, Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. Ich stand im Bann dieses traurigen alten Sacks, der selbst mich Hünen locker überragte und düster auf mich herunter sah. Mann, dachte ich, this man sad! und
…dieser Mann hat’s sichtlich satt. Er tut nicht mehr mit. Er rollt sich nicht in Deutschlandfähnchen. Er geht nicht grillen. Er denkt nicht positiv. Er will sich nicht integrieren. Er ißt keinen Salat. Er haßt Bewegung. Er schreibt Hass mit ß. Obstruktiv ist der Mann, null compliance, ein Muffel, ein Stiesel, ein Unsympath! Dem kauft man die Dekonstruktion nicht ab. Oder die Postmoderne. Pustekuchen! Mal auf deutsch: Der macht sich nicht locker! Der schenkt kein Lächeln, der ist selber schuld! Mal unter uns: Der putzt die Treppe nicht, der trägt Feinripp, dem hängt das Hemd aus der Hose! (Ja, ja, Klugscheißer: metaphorisch, meta-​phorisch! Schon klar.) Der könnt’ ja mal den Bauch einziehen. Dem tät es auch gut, mal rauszukommen! Den übernimmt die Kasse doch nicht! Mit d e m feiern? So kriegt der nie eine. So glaubt dem keiner. So geht das nicht weiter mit dem. Der hat resigniert, der gibt sich auf, der kann doch nicht loslassen! Wie der schon guckt! Wie der aussieht! Diese Frisur. Dieser Blick. Diese Zehennägel. Was ist denn mal mit Sport? Der winkt doch bloß ab, das ist ein Spielverderber, wie er im Buche steht, der versaut jede Stimmung. Der Mann ist komplett humorlos. Ein Miesmacher, ein Brunnenvergifter, ein Demagoge. Dem ist doch alles zuzutraun! Würdense dem vielleicht ihr Kind? Oder das Auto? Na! Dem ist Kunst doch so was von Wurscht! Ungepflegt, ohne Ehrgeiz, völlig ohne Ambitionen! Der steht noch nicht dahinter, dieser Mann blufft doch! Det is’ donnich ästhetisch! Der Mann hat die Fresse dick, der hat den Kaffee auf, dem steht’s bis hier! This man, sad.
Am liebsten hätte ich ihn mitgenommen